() Comments
Wiser alternative: Racine Education Association parts ways with executive director
By Brent Killackey
RACINE - When Dennis Wiser heard news Tuesday afternoon of his ouster as executive director of the Racine Education Association, his first visit was to Racine Unified's central offices.
There, the top administrator of the teacher's union said goodbye to Superintendent Tom Hicks, the school district's top administrator. He also said goodbye to Steve Hejnal, the district's executive director of human resources.
In recent years, REA leadership and Unified administrators have made progress in normalizing district/union relations that for many years had been highly adversarial and often bitter, including teacher sick-outs and lock-outs in the 1990s and a teacher protest in 2004 outside a banquet where Hicks was receiving an award.
Apparently, however, Wiser and the REA's executive committee - consisting of a variety of union members elected from various employee groups - hadn't been seeing eye to eye lately.
"I got the rumbling of this as far back as 6 to 8 months," Wiser said Wednesday morning. "This wasn't too shocking."
But neither Wiser nor REA leadership would disclose exactly why they're parting ways. "I really don't want to stir the water too much on this issue," Wiser said.
"I don't really have a clue," he said.
Betsy Kippers, president of the REA and chair of the executive committee, declined to get into specifics on Wiser's removal.
"Our negotiations with him are a private issue," Kippers said Wednesday afternoon. "We are a private sector employer."
But Kippers was quick to assure that Wiser's removal didn't signal a return to the REA's old methods of operations - methods which pitted the REA against the district in a sometimes bitter and ugly struggle.
"I do want to dispel any fears," she said. "I'm very confident that the progress we've made with the district to communicate and work together will continue."
Plans to replace Wiser were still being worked out, but Kippers expected the REA would independently hire someone rather than turning to the state teacher's union - Wisconsin Education Association Council - for someone to fill the post.
Finding someone was a pressing need because although the teacher's contracts are settled through 2009, the educational assistant's contract remains an item of negotiation, she said.
Kippers said the REA wanted to be strong partners with the district - and she credited Wiser with helping better union/district relations.
"We very much appreciate the work of Dennis Wiser over the past five years to improve those relationships (with the district)," Kippers said.
Wiser was executive director for the past five years. Before that, he served as president of the union for six years, and in various other union roles since 1979. He worked as a high school math teacher before taking the full-time executive director post.
"I've enjoyed helping the teachers all along the way and I'm very proud of the work I've done over the years," Wiser said.
At the top of his list of accomplishments was the last round of contract settlements, which included both 2005-07 and 2007-09 contract periods.
"It addressed large numbers of needs for the teachers, finally established a competitive benefits package and also put some safeguards so the community isn't faced with out-of-control insurance costs," he said.
Wiser said now that he's free from the long hours of the job, he plans to catch up with work around the house, restoring past relationships and spending time with his parents.
"My life has been on hold the past five years doing the business with the association," he said.
Special Offer: Get 5 Weeks of the Journal Times for $7!
|
 |
|
| What school officials are saying about the Wiser firing | The power of a faith unshaken |
